by Roxy Nightshade
Women’s liberation has taken a huge hit in the state of Florida, and other freedoms—along with the right to vote—are now falling with it.
In June 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned, ending the 49-year constitutional right to abortion, and leaving it up to the states to decide a woman’s right to autonomy over her body. In the “Free” state of Florida, as DeSantis has so proclaimed on the signs as you enter the state on the highway, the “Heartbeat Protection Act” (SB 300) prohibits abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy, basically banning abortion early in the first trimester.
Amendment 4 was a right-to-abortion initiative in 2024, which was defeated due to the state requiring a 60 percent vote for approval, with the amendment procuring 57 percent. So much for women having rights over their own bodies. We now have fewer rights than our mothers had in the 1970s.
Now in 2026, it gets worse. Florida legislators have been busy concocting bills reminiscent of Orwell’s “1984.” A couple horrid bills have passed. A third, thankfully, died before it could come to fruition.
HB 1471, or the “Outlawing Activism” bill, was signed into law by DeSantis on April6. ACLU Florida, Equality Florida, Florida Immigrant Coalition and other organizations strongly opposed this bill, urging calls from the public to ask their representatives to vote “No.”
Unfortunately, most of our Republican state reps are so busy brown-nosing DeSantis that they no longer seem to care what their constituents think, and they voted along party lines. It is screaming McCarthyism and allows the state to label people and groups they don’t like or don’t agree with as domestic terrorists without due process, using the term to censor Floridians who disagree with the government.
It gravely infringes on our First Amendment rights and is an unconstitutional attack, which serves to intimidate, rather than protect, the public. Its vague definitions of “domestic terrorist organizations” can be used to silence advocacy groups, student organizations and faith groups. It can be used to target legitimate, peaceful activism that differs from the governor’s point of view. Students who “support or promote designated terrorist organizations” can be expelled and universities that have ties to these organizations can lose state funding.
On April 1, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Elections bill (HB 991), also known as the Florida SAVE Act. The law takes effect on Jan. 1. The law requires people who need to update or change their voter registration and those voting for the first time to prove their citizenship. DeSantis claims this law will protect voter registration. In reality, it is unfounded propaganda and not supported by any evidence that there’s rampant, wide-spread non-citizen voting.
To prove citizenship you will need one of the following: Birth Certificate, U.S. Passport, Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship, or Consular Report of Birth Abroad. A birth certificate is the easiest way and if you were born in Florida, you can order a certified Florida birth certificate through Vital Records Online. If you were born in another state, you’ll need to request the certificate from that state’s vital records office. The Florida Real ID driver’s license does not provide proof of citizenship.
For current registered voters, if state or federal databases can’t verify your citizenship, you may be required to submit additional documentation to remain registered. If records are missing or inconclusive, you may receive a notice requesting proof. Having a certified birth certificate or valid passport ready protects you in either case. But, that’s IF your name matches.
This bill is an outright attack on women, because as tradition has it, in heterosexual marriage it’s the woman who changes her name when she gets married. If your current legal name differs from the name on your birth certificate — due to marriage, divorce, or a court-ordered name change — you will likely need to provide a certified marriage certificate, divorce certificate, or court order connecting your birth name to your current legal name.
In reality, this is just another way for DeSantis and the far right to disenfranchise millions of voters by requiring documents from the government that cost money, and will significantly decrease the number of people in the state who can vote. Florida doesn’t have a good public transportation system, so the requirement to get to the office and obtain all the documents and then prove your citizenship is a deliberate attempt to limit the people’s voice in Florida. This will affect married people who have changed their names, people of low income status, minorities, the elderly and people with disabilities.
HB 945/ SB 1712 was an Orwellian “Mass Surveillance” bill which also challenged Free Speech and First Amendment rights. This bill would have created a powerful new state intelligence unit with authority to surveil and conduct “direct action missions” against individuals and organization based on their views or opinions. The bill’s definition of who could be targeted was so broad it included journalists, activists, non-profit leaders, political organizers, and everyday Floridians exercising their first amendment rights.
The bill was found favorable in three House committees – Government Operations Subcommittee, Judiciary and Budget – but by the grace of the universe DIED in the State Affairs committee. Even though this bill is no more, it’s important to be aware of what legislators are trying to pass.
Next time you drive by a “Welcome to the Free State of Florida” sign on the state line, really question how true that statement is. Maybe if you’re a white, straight, rich male. The rest of us just continue to fight while our rights are stolen from us. We must be aware and cognizant of different bills that Florida legislators are attempting to pass and how they affect our rights, and fight them tooth and nail.
Follow ACLU Florida and your local NPR station (In Gainesville, WUFT) to stay informed.